Tuhaf Al-uqul ( the Masterpieces of the Mind )
Maxims of Imam As-sadiq
The following maxims and words of wisdom are related to Imam Abu Abdillah Ja'far bin Mohammed As-Sadiq (peace be upon him). Imam As-Sadiq's Commandment for Abdullah bin Jundab It is related that Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: O Abdullah, the Shaitan has arranged his traps in this deceitful world to target our disciples only, but the world to come is too great in their eyes to seek a substitute for it. Oh, for hearts that are stuffed with illumination. For them, this world is as same as a poisonous snake and an outlandish enemy. They found amiability with God and they found strange that with which the luxurious ones found amusement. They are surely my disciples. They uncover every seditious matter and relieve every misfortune.
O son of Jundab, tt is obligatory upon every Muslim, who claims of knowing us, to maintain judgment with his deeds everyday; if he notices that he has done a good deed, he should do it increasingly, and if he notices that he has committed an evildoing, he should seek God's forgiving it so that he will not be disgraced on the Day of Resurrection. Blessed be the servant -of God- who does not envy the wrongdoers for their having the worldly pleasures. Blessed be the servant who sought the world to come painstakingly. Blessed be him who is not cheated by the false expectations. God's mercy be upon those who were lanterns and lights. They advocated us through their deeds and all efforts. They are unlike him who divulges our secrets.
O son of Jundab, the true faithful believers are those who fear God and work hard so as the guidance they have been given will not be taken from them. If they remember God and His grace, they feel apprehensive and fearful. If God's Verses are recited before them, they will increase their faith due to the power that He shows, and they depend upon their Lord. O son of Jundab, in the old time, ignorance was erected and based. This is because they betook God's religion playfully and jokingly to the degree that he whoever did something for God's sake was intending someone else. Those are surely the unjust. O son of Jundab, if our Shias -adherents- opt for righteousness, the angels will shake hands with them, they will get provisions from above -the heavens- and below -the earth-, and God will respond to all their supplications.
O son of Jundab, speak only good wording about the sinful people of your sect. You should supplicate to God importunately to guide them and accept their repentance. He whoever proposes us, follows us, shuns our enemies, says only what he knows, and says nothing about what he ignores or deems it problematic will be in Paradise. O son of Jundab, decline is the result of him who depends upon his acts. He who commits sins and depends totally upon God's mercy will not be saved. The safe are those who are in a situation between hope and fear, whose hearts are as if they are in a claw of a bird due to their eagerness for the reward and fear from the penalty. O son of Jundab, he who is pleased that God will give him the women of Paradise in marriage and crown him with the light should please his faithful brother.
O son of Jundab, sleep little at night and speak little in day. The less thankful organs are the eye and the tongue. Mother of Solomon the prophet (peace be upon him) instructed him, saying: "O son, beware of sleeping. It make you needy on that day when people will be in importunate need for their deeds."
O son of Jundab, the Shaitan has some traps with which he traps the others. Keep yourselves safe against his snares and traps. (Abdullah bin Jundab related) I asked, "O son of the messenger of God, what are these traps and snares?" Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) answered: The trap of the Shaitan is withholding from doing charity to the friends, while his snare is sleeping away the settlement of the obligatory prayers. Certainly, no worship is preferred to walking for visiting and providing charity to the friends. Woe to those who are inadvertent against their prayers, sleep inattentively, and mock at God and His marks. They shall be weightless on the Day of Resurrection, and God will not speak to them nor will He look at them on the Day of Judgment nor will He purify them. They will face a painful torment. O son of Jundab, God will ease him who begins his day thinking only how to save himself from Hell and seeking few profits from his Lord. God will make Hell the lodge of him who cheats, debases, and aggresses his friend. Like salt dissolving in water, faith will dissolve in the hearts of those who envy a faithful believer.
O son of Jundab, he who makes efforts for settling his friend's need is as same as that who roams between Safa and Marwa . He who settels the need of his friend is regarded as same as those whose blood was shed in the battles of Badr and Uhud for God's sake . God did not punish a nation before they had disregarded the rights of the poor among them. O son of Jundab, inform our Shias -adherents- not to be highly tranquil. Pursuance to our leadership is not obtained without piety, painstakingness, and consoling the brothers for God's sake. He whoever oppresses people is not within our adherents. O son of Jundab, the characters of our Shias are many: they are generosity, openhandedness with the friends, and offering fifty rak'as in day and night (seventeen rak'as of the obligatory prayers and thirty-three rak'as of the nafilas). Our Shias neither shout like dogs nor are they avaricious like crows. They never lodge next to our enemies and never beg him who hates us even if they starve. Our Shias never have the meat of eel and never pass their hands over their slipper during the ritual ablution. They keep up the offering of the Dhuhr -midday- Prayer and do not drink any intoxicant.
(Abdullah bin Jundab related) I asked, "God make me your sacrifice, where can I find such Shias?" Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) answered: You will find them on the summits of mountains and in outskirts. Whenever you are in a city, you will know the faithful by asking about the one whom the people of the city do not neighbor nor does he neighbor them. That is the faithful believer. This is in the Holy Quran. God says: "A man came running from the farthest part of the city." That was Habib the carpenter. He was the only faithful believer. O son of Jundab, all sins are forgivable except mistreating the people of your sect. Every charity is acceptable except that which is done for showing off.
O son of Jundab, love (others) for God's sake. Cling to the firmest handle. Stick on the guidance so that your deeds will be accepted. God says: I am All-forgiving to the righteously striving believers who repent and follow the right guidance. Hence, nothing except faith will be accepted, no faith without deed, no deed without conviction, and no conviction without submission. The master of all these is guidance. The deeds of him who follows the right guidance will be accepted and ascended to the Divine Realm. God guides to the right path whomever He wants. O son of Jundab, if you desire for neighboring the Glorified God and residing in the Elevated Paradise in His vicinity, you should demean the worldly pleasures, regard death permanently, and spare nothing for tomorrow. You should know that you will get the reward of whatever you precede -in charity- and get the punishment of whatever you delay.
O son of Jundab, he whoever deprives himself of enjoying his earnings is collecting for others. He whoever complies with his passions is complying with his enemy. For those who trust in Him, God will settle their worldly affairs as well as the affairs of the world to come and keep for them whatever they miss. He who does not choose steadfastness for facing every misfortune, thanks for every grace, and easiness for every complexity will surely be too short to continue. Be broad-minded whenever a misfortune inflicts you, whether in your son, wealth, or other matters. The fact of every misfortune is that God receives his loan and takes his gift back so as to test your tolerance and thanking. Trust in God in a way that you will not dare to disobey Him. Fear Him in a way that you do not despair of His mercy. Do not believe the saying and praise of the ignorant so that you will not be arrogant, tyrant, and esteem your deeds exaggeratedly. Adoration and modesty are the best of deeds. Do not waste your fortune and put up the others' fortunes through what you are going to leave for them.
Satisfy yourself with what God is giving you. Never look to what others have. Never expect (the good of) what you will not get. He who satisfies himself will surely attain self-sufficiency. He who is not pleased will never satiate. Take your share of the world to come. Never be arrogant when you are rich and intolerant when you are poor. Never be so crude that people desist from approaching you. Never be so humble that you will be disgraced by whoever knows you. Never quarrel with him who is higher than you. Never mock at him who is lower than you. Never dispute about a matter whose rightful owners are the opposite party. Never listen to the foolish. Never humiliate yourself before any person. Never depend upon anyone's protection. Stop engaging yourself in a matter before you check it completely and realize its entrance and exit so as to avoid sorrow. Consider your mind as a kinsman whose opinion you seek. Consider your knowledge as the father that you follow. Consider your self as the enemy that you fight and the loan that you will defray. You are assigned as the doctor of yourself and shown the prescription of health, the malady, and the remedy. See how you will treat yourself. If you have done favor to someone, you should not violate it by mentioning it and showing the obligation on him. You should attach another favor to the previous. This will be more fitting for you and will make your reward in the world to come more fixed. Keep silent and you will be reckoned as indulgent whether you were knowledgeable or ignorant. Silence is an ornament before the scholars and a screen before the ignorant.
O son of Jundab, once, Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon them) asked his companions: "Supposing you pass by one of your friends and find that his dress was raised and a part of his genitals was shown. Will you screen him or reveal the genitals completely?" "We will surely screen him," answered they. "No, you will reveal the genitals completely," he replied. Hence, they realized that he had provided them a proverb. "O Spirit of God, How is that?" they asked. He (peace be upon him) explained, "As you notice your friend's flaw, you do not cover him. I tell you truthfully that you will not get what you want unless you leave your desires. Likewise, you will not attain your hopes unless you become steadfast against matters that you hate. Beware of looking (at foreign women even one time), because it sets sexual appetite in the heart. This will sufficiently be sedition. Blessed are those whose sight is in their hearts not in their eyes. Do not go after people's defects as if you are lords. You should inspect your defects like the slaves. People are either sick or healthy. Be kind to the sick and thank God for the health."
O son of Jundab, regard him who ruptured relations with you, give him who deprived you (of his bestowals), treat kindly him who mistreated you, greet him who reviled at you, be just to him who disputed with you, and pardon him who wronged you in the same way you like others to pardon you. Take lessons from God's pardoning you; do you not see that His sun is covering the pious and the licentious and His rain is falling on the virtuous and the wrongdoers?
O son of Jundab, do not give alms openly for the purpose of making people second you. If you do so, then you have taken your reward. You should not let your left hand know that your right hand has given alms. He to whom you are giving alms secretly will surely reward you openly before all people on the day on which it will not be harmful for you that people witness your almsgiving. Low you voice because your Lord, Who knows whatever you say secretly or openly, has already known your question before you ask it. When you fast, you should not backbite anybody. Do not oppress anyone while you are fasting. Do not be like those who fast for showing off; their faces are dusty, hair is disheveled, and mouths are dry just for making people know that they are fasting.
O son of Jundab, all the good and all the evil are in front of you. You will see the true good and the true evil after the world to come. God the Glorified put all the good in Paradise and all the evil in Hell, because they will persist. It is an obligation upon him whom God has gifted guidance, honored with faith, granted intelligence, supplied with a brain with which the graces are recognized, and given knowledge and wisdom with which the worldly and religious affairs are managed, it is an obligation on him to deem obligatory upon himself to thank God, never show ingratitude, never forget, obey, and never challenge Him. This obligation is for the old graces that the Lord considered perfectly, the new ones that He gave after creation, the great rewards that He promised, and the favor of imposing only the possible and guaranteeing to help do it. He also called man to seek His help to perform the fewest of what He imposed upon him. Nevertheless, man is ignoring and unable to do what God ordered him to do. He dressed the garb of belittling the bond between the Lord and him, pursued his whims, went on complying with his lusts, and preferred the world to the world to come; yet, he hopes to be in the Highest Paradise. You should never expect to have the ranks of the doers of charity while you practice the deeds of the evildoers. When the Falling Event will come to pass, the Resurrection will arise, the Great Predominating Calamity comes, the All-omnipotent will maintain the scale for judgment and the creatures will be resurrected for the Day of Judgment, only then you will realize whose is the honor and exaltation and whose is sorrow and disappointment. Hence, work in this world so that you will win in the world to come. O son of Jundab, in one of His revelations, God, the Majestic the Glorified, said: "I will accept only the prayers of him who humiliates himself before My greatness, abstains from the pleasures for My sake, spends his day with referring to Me, never tyrannizes My creatures, serves the hungry, attires the naked, treats the injured kindly, and finds a place for the strange. The light of such people will shine like sunlight. I will give him light in the gloom and composure in the situations of ignorance. I will protect them by My might and assign My angels as their guards. I will respond when they call on Me and give when they ask Me. They are the like of the Highest Paradise; its fruits are unparalleled and it never changes."
O son of Jundab, Islam is naked; pudency is its dress, decorum is its adornment, good deed is its personality, and piety is its pillar. Everything should have a basis. The basis of Islam is the adoration to us-the Prophet's family. O son of Jundab, God, the Blessed the Exalted, has a wall of light that is framed with aquamarine and silk and decorated with fine green silk. This wall is fixed between our enemies and our followers. When the brains will boil, the hearts will reach the throats, and the livers will be fired due to the long period of the situation of the Resurrection, the disciples of God will be taken into that wall. They will be under God's security and protection. They will have whatever they desire and whatever their eyes find sweet. The enemies of God will be muffled by the sweat and thrilled by fear. They will look at what God will arrange for them and say: "Why is it that we cannot see men whom we had considered as wicked?" Then, God's disciples will look and laugh at them. This is God's sayings:
We mocked at them. Can our eyes not find them?
On the Day of Judgment, the believers will laugh at the disbelievers, while reclining on couches and reviewing the bounties given to them. At that time, God will take everyone who supported any of our disciples, even by a single word, to Paradise without judgment. Imam As-Sadiq's Commandment for Abu Ja'far Muhammad Bin Annu'man Al-Ahwal Abu Ja'far said: Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said to me: God the Glorified imputed dishonor to some people in the Quran because they divulged secrets. Abu Ja'far said: "God make me your sacrifice, where is that (in the Quran)?" asked I. The Imam (peace be upon him) answered: This is in His saying: When they receive any news of peace or war, they announce it in public. He (peace be upon him) then added:
The divulgers of our secrets are as same as those who unsheathe swords in our faces. God's mercy be upon him who buries under the feet whatever he hears from our concealed issues. I swear by God, I know the evil among you more accurately than a veterinarian's knowledge of his sick animals. The evil ones among you are those who recite the Quran only in public, offer the prayers in the final of their times, and do not control their tongues. When Al-Hasan bin Ali (peace be upon them) was stabbed and people mutinied, he conceded to Muawiya. Hence, his followers came to him and said: "Peace be upon you, disgracer of the believers!" He (peace be upon him) said: "I am not the disgracer of the believers. I am their consolidator. When I noticed that you were weaker than them, I conceded so that you, as well as I, would remain among them. This is the same reason that made the Scholar crack the ship so that it would be kept for its owners ." O son of Annu'man, as I say something to one of you, he relates it to me before others. This will make him deserve my curse and disavowal. My father used to say: "Nothing is more delightful than taqiyyah . It is the shelter of the faithful believers. Without taqiyyah, God would not have been worshipped." God says in this regard:
The believers must not establish friendship with the unbelievers in preference to the faithful. Whoever does so has nothing to hope for from God unless he does it out of fear or pious dissimulation -taqiyyah-. O son of Annu'man, beware of contention, because it makes void your deeds. Beware of disputation, because it destroys you. Beware of quarrelsomeness, because it takes you away from God. Those who preceded you used to keep silence, while you are learning how to speak. If one of them wanted to dedicate his efforts to worship, he would have to learn keeping silent ten years before so. If he learnt it adequately, he would go worshipping. Otherwise, he would say: No, I am not fit enough for so. Only he who keeps silent against obscenity and tolerates harm in the unjust state will be saved. These are the chaste, the pure, and the true disciples. Moreover, they are the faithful believers. The most hated to me are the distributors of the news, the gossiping, and those who envy their friends. They are not from me and I am not from them. My disciples are only those who submit to our affairs, pursue our tracks, and rest upon us in every matter. I swear by God, if you provide gold as much as this earth for God's sake and then envy a believer, you will be ironed with that gold after it will be heated in Hell.
O son of Annu'man, the divulger of our secrets is more sinful than him who kills us with his sword. He is surely more sinful. He is surely more sinful.
O son of Annu'man, he whoever relates a narrative to us is murdering us intentionally, not unintentionally. O son of Annu'man, in the shadows of the unjust ruling regime, you should receive everybody that you fear warmly. He who opposes the unjust government is killing and destroying himself. God says: Do not push yourselves into perdition. O son of Annu'man, the Shaitan is still attaching to us -the prophet's family- those who are neither with us nor with our religion. When such an individual is raised and regarded by people, the Shaitan will order him to fabricate lies against us. Whenever such an individual goes, another will come forth.
O son of Annu'man, he who says, 'I do not know,' if he does not find the answer of a question is behaving fairly to knowledge. The faithful believers who bear malice in a situation should get rid of that malice as soon as that situation ends. O son of Annu'man, the scholar cannot tell you of everything he knows, because he is God's secret that He revealed to Gabriel the angel. Gabriel revealed it to Mohammed (peace be upon him and his family), and he revealed to Ali (peace be upon him) who revealed it to Al-Hasan (peace be upon him). Al-Hasan revealed to al-Hussein (peace be upon him) who revealed to Ali (peace be upon him). Ali (peace be upon him) revealed it to Mohammed (peace be upon him) who revealed it to someone. Do not be hasty. This issue was about to be come forth three times, but it was postponed because you declared it publicly.
Your enemies are more acquainted with your secrets. O son of Annu'man, Keep yourself safe. You have disobeyed me. Do not divulge my secrets. Al-Mughira bin Saeed forged lies against my father and divulged his secrets; therefore, God caused him to suffer the heat of iron. Likewise, Abul-Khattab forged lies against me and divulged my secrets; therefore, God caused him to suffer the heat of iron. For those who conceal our affairs, God will adorn them with our affair in this world and the world to come, give them their shares, and guard them against the heat of iron and the narrow detention. Once, the Israelis were inflicted with such a harsh famine that their animals and children perished. Hence, Moses the prophet (peace be upon him) supplicated to God to save them. God said: "O Moses, they have made public fornication and usury, constructed the churches, and wasted the almsgiving."
Moses said: "O Lord, be merciful to them out of your compassion. They do not understand." Thus, God told Moses that He would send rainfall on them and test them for forty days. But they publicized this matter; hence, God ceased rainfall for forty years. In the same way, as your issue was about to come forth, you publicized the matter in your sessions. O Abu Ja'far, what is your business with people? Leave them alone and do not call anyone to this matter. I swear by God, if the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth support each other on deviating a servant whom God wants to guide, they will not be able to do it. Let people alone and do not say this is my brother, uncle, or neighbor. When God the Glorified wants the good of somebody, He will make his soul so fertile that he accepts any good matter and refuse any evil. Then God will strike his heart with a word that corrects his matter totally. O son of Annu'man, if you want your friend to keep your friendship, you should not joke or dispute with him, show him pride, or mistreat him. Do not inform your friend of all of your secrets except those which will not harm you if your enemy knows them, because it is possible that your friend becomes your enemy someday.
O son of Annu'man, a servant will not be a faithful believer before he learns three characters; one from God, one from His Messenger, and one from the Imam. The character that he should learn from God is the concealment of secrets. God the Glorified says: He knows the unseen and He does not allow anyone to know His secrets… The character that he should learn from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) is that he should treat people courteously. The character that he should learn from the Imam (peace be upon him) is to be steadfast against situations of misfortune and crises until relief comes about.
O son of Annu'man, eloquence is neither the sharpness of the tongue nor the much speaking. It is targeting the meaning and going for the evidence. O son of Annu'man, he whoever sits with those who revile at God's disciples is disobeying God. He whoever suppresses his rage for our sake since he cannot show it will be with us on the Highest Peak. God will cause to suffer the heat of iron and the narrow detention those who begin their days with divulging our secrets. O son of Annu'man, do not seek knowledge for showing off, pride, and disputation. Do not leave it for the desire of ignorance, belittlement of knowledge, and feeling shy of people. The protected knowledge is the like of a covered torch. O son of Annu'man, when God the Glorified wants to do good to a servant, He situates a white mark in his heart. Hence, the heart will be in search of the right. Then he will be as hasty as a bird going back to its nest for achieving your affair. O son of Annu'man, God causes the adoration to us -the Prophet's family- to descend from the heavens. It is situated in warehouses, like those of gold and silver, under the Divine Throne. He descends it in limited quantities and gives it to the best of His creatures only. It is in a cloud similar to that of rain. When God wants to give it exclusively to whom He loves, he permits that cloud to pour. It then pours, like rainfall, on the fetuses in their mothers' wombs.
Imam As-Sadiq's Message to a Group of His Adherents and Companions
Ask God for good health. Adhere to courtesy, decorum, tranquility, and pudency, and promote yourselves against what the virtuous ones among you promote themselves against. Remark favorably on the wrong people: be steadfast against their oppression, beware of opposing them, and use taqiyyah of which God ordered you when you sit, associate, and discuss with them. You have to sit, associate, and discuss with them. They will surely hurt you if they notice that you deny their beliefs. They will surely subjugate you unless God protect you against them. Their hearts bear malice and hatred against you more than what they show. You have to associate with them.
The servant that God created as faithful believer will not die before he hates and go away from evil. He whom God causes to hate and go away from evil will be saved from arrogance and pride. Hence, his mannerism and features will be well and his face will be smiling. He will acquire the decorum, tranquility, and reverence of Islam, keep himself away from matters that God forbids, and evade matters that enrage God. Moreover, God will endow him with people's affection and courtesy and save him from boycotting people and engaging in disputations.
The servant that God created him as disbeliever will not die before he loves and favors evil. He whom God causes to love and favor evil will be arrogant and proud. Hence, he will be hard-hearted, vicious, rude-faced, famed of vulgarity, and shameless. God will dishonor him as nothing will prevent him from committing the prohibited matters and the acts of disobedience to God. He will hate obedience to God and its people. Far away are the believers' manners from the disbelievers'. Ask God for good health and seek it from Him. All power and might belong to God. Supplicate to God very frequently. He loves the servants who supplicate to Him. He promised them of response. On the Day of Resurrection, God will change the believers' supplications into deeds due to which their ranks of Paradise will be added. Refer to God very much in every hour of every day and night. He ordered to mention Him frequently and He will mention the believers who mention Him. God will remember graciously every believer who mentions Him.
Keep us the prayers in general and the middle prayer in specific, and stand up while offering prayers in obedience to God, as God ordered the faithful believers before you in His Book. You should love the poor Muslims. He whoever debases and humbles them will deviate from God's religion and God will debase him. Our father the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "My Lord ordered me to love the poor Muslims." You must know that God will throw hatred and belittlement upon him whoever humiliates any of the Muslims, so that people will hate him intensely. Fear God in regard to the poor Muslims; your brothers. It is obligatory upon you to love them, since God ordered His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to love them. He whoever dislikes those whom God ordered His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to love is disobeying God and His Messenger. He who disobeys God and His Messenger to death will be reckoned as one of those who returned into a rebel. Beware of pride and arrogance, because arrogance is God's dress, and He will surely subdue and humiliate him whoever tries to take His dress. Beware of oppressing each other, because this is not a character of the virtuous. God will make the results of any oppression against the originator of that oppression and will give His victory to the wronged party. He whom is given God's victory will surely overcome and prosper. Beware of envying each other, because it is the origin of atheism.
Beware of standing against the wronged Muslim, because God will respond to him when he supplicates to Him. Our father the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "The supplication of the wronged Muslim is responded." Beware of desiring for anything that God forbids. God will deprive those who violate the prohibited matters of Paradise and its pleasures, delights, and everlasting awards.
Imam As-Sadiq's 'Dispersal of Gem'
Some of the Shias name the following words of Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) as 'dispersal of gems':
Inconsiderate judgment causes discrepancy, criticism causes enmity, lack of tolerance causes scandal, divulgement of secrets causes meanness, generosity causes cleverness, and niggardliness is inadvertence.
To adhere to God, satisfy with His act, and trust Him-these three matters gather the good of this world and the world to come for him whoever holds fast to them.
He who neglects three characters will be deprived: they are to ask from the generous, associate with the scholars, and attract the attention of the powerful.
Religiousness, modesty, and generosity-these three matters bring about the affection of others.
He who disavows three will attain three: he
who disavows evil will attain dignity; he who disavows arrogance will attain nobility; he who disavows niggardliness will attain honor. 6. Three characters bring about hatred: hypocrisy, oppression, and self-conceit. 7. He who does not have one of three characters is not regarded as noble: they are a mind that beautifies him, a fortune that dispenses him of people, or a clan that supports him.
Envy, talebearing, frivolity-these three matters cause degradation.
Three characters are not known only in three situations: the clement are known only in situations of rage, the courageous are known only in wars, and brothers are known only in situations of neediness.
He whoever enjoys three characters is certainly hypocrite even if he offers prayers and fasts: he who lies when he speaks, breaches his promises, and violates the trusts.
Beware of three categories of people: the traitor, the oppressor, and the talebearer. He who betrays others for your sake will surely betray you, he who oppresses others for your sake will surely oppress you, and he who bears others' news to you will surely bear your news to others. 12. No one should be regarded as trustful before he keeps three things: funds, secrets, and honors. He who keeps two and betrays a third is not trustful.
Do not consult the foolish, seek the help of the liar, or trust in the affection of the weary. The liar brings near the remote and makes the near remote, the foolish does his best for you but cannot attain anything, and the weary disappoints you in your most reliable matter and breaks your most associated matter.
Four things do not have sufficiency with four matters: the land never has its sufficiency from rainfall, the eye never has its sufficiency from looking, the female never has its sufficiency from the male, and the scholar never has his sufficiency from knowledge.
Four conducts bring old age before its time: they are eating dried meat, sitting on wetlands, scaling the stairs, and copulating with old women. 16. Women are of three categories: one is for you, the other is for you and against you, and the third is against you. The one that is for you is the virgin. The one that is for you and against you is the non-virgin. The one that is against you is the mother of sons of another man.
He who enjoys three characters is surely a master: they are suppression of the rage, pardoning the wrongdoings, and regard (others) by means of soul and property.
Three things will inevitably suffer three matters: the horse will inevitably suffer a stumble, the sword will inevitably suffer a false strike, and the wise will inevitably suffer a slight fault. 19. Eloquence is in three matters: to approach the intended meaning, evade surplus wording, and explain big meanings with little words. 20. Safety lies in three matters: controlling the tongue, extent of the house, and feeling sorry for the faults.
Ignorance is in three matters; change of the friends, unproved seclusion, and spying on unconcerned affairs.
He who enjoys three characters will suffer from their bad turns: they are evil plots, breach, and rebellion. This is proved through God's sayings:
Evil plots only affect the plotters.
Consider the result of their plot. We destroyed them and their people altogether. As for those who disregard their pledge, they do so only against their own souls. People, your rebellion will only harm yourselves. You may enjoy the worldly life.
Three matters stop man from seeking rise: they are lack of self-determination, lack of management, and lack of opinion.
Determination should be in three matters: they are serving the powerful, obeying the father, and submission to the master.
Amiability is found with three individuals: they are the compliant wife, the pious son, and the good friend.
He whom is given three characters will obtain three things: satisfaction with what is given, despair of what is in people's possession, and avoidance of curiosity.
Generosity is worthless unless three characters are done: being openhanded in situations of prosperity and dearth, giving to the deservers, and believing that the thanks that he received from those whom he endowed is more valuable than what he had given to them.
Man is not excused in three matters: counseling with the well-wishers, treating the envious courteously, and showing affection to people. 29. Intelligence cannot be attained unless three matters are achieved: submission to the right whomever its party is, acceptance for people whatever is accepted for oneself, and treating the wrongdoer considerately.
Favors will not remain unless three characters are enjoyed: knowledge of matters that is incumbent for God the Praised in regard to the favors, showing gratitude for them, and avoidance of finding faults with them.
If you are inflicted with one of three matter, you will hope were you dead: ceaseless, scandalous indignity, and overcoming enemy. 32. He who refuses three will be inflicted with three: he who refuses safety will be inflicted with disappointment, he who refuses a favor will be inflicted with sorrow, and he who refuses having many friends will be inflicted with loss.
It is obligatory upon everyone to avoid three matters: associating with the evildoers, talking with women, and sitting to the heretic people. 34. Generosity is proved through three matters: well mannerism, suppression of anger, and turning the sight -from the forbidden views-.
He who trusts three is cheated: he who believes the impossible, depends upon the distrustful, and acts greedily upon what he does not possess. 36. He who uses three characters is spoiling his religion and his world: he who mistrusts everything, believes every matter he hears, and accepts to be controlled by his wife.
The best kings are those who enjoy three characters: kindness, generosity, and justice.
Kings should never neglect three matters: protecting the borders, looking closely into the affairs of the subjects, and selecting the virtuous for the official jobs.
Three matters are obligatory upon the kings' friends and subjects: the obedience to them, advising them in their presence and absence, and supplicating to God to give them victory and goodness.
Three matters are obligatory on the rulers for both the chiefs and the subjects: they must reward the doers of charity perfectly so that they will be urged doing charity increasingly, cover up the wrongdoers' deeds so that they will repent and stop bad behavior, and combine all the subjects with fairness and justice.
Three kinds of people will surely worsen if the kings neglect them: a mischievous lazy individual who strays from the commons, a caller to a heresy whose slogan is enjoining good and forbidding evil, and people of a city who vote for a chief who prevents the king from applying the laws on them.
The intelligent should not underestimate anybody. The most people whom should never be underestimated are three: the scholars, the rulers, and the friends. He who underestimates the scholars will spoil his religion, he who underestimates the rulers will spoil his worldly pleasures, and he who underestimates his friends will spoil his personality.
The clique of the rulers is of three classes. One is charitable. It is the blessing of the ruler as well as the subjects. The second is caring for guarding what is in their hand only. They are neither praised nor dispraised. Yet, they are nearer to censure. The third is the vicious. They are doomed. The ruler is dispraised because of the existence of such a class.
All people require three things: security, justice, and fertility.
Three persons disturb the life: the unjust ruler, the bad neighbor, and the bad-tongued wife.
Residence is valueless without three things: gentle wind, profuse fresh water, and a productive land.
Three matters result in sorrow: boasting, pride, and competition in power.
Three characters are stuck to son of Adam: envy, acquisitiveness, and appetite.
If one of three characters is found in an individual, he will have them all in his excellence, solemnity, and beauty. They are piety, clemency, and bravery.
He whom is given three characters will be perfect: intelligence, beauty, and eloquence.
Safety will be the share of three categories until they attain their purpose. They are women until they give birth, kings until they die, and the absent until they return.
Three characters beget deprivation: insistence in beggary, backbiting, and mockery.
The end of three matters is bad: the heroes' attack during wars in inappropriate opportunities even if they triumph, to have medicine while enjoying good health even safety is gained, and to ask the ruler even if they settle the needs.
Every man claims accuracy of three matters: his religion, his whim that overcomes him, and his policy of life.
People are of three classes: obeyed masters, equal individuals, and opposed people.
The pillars of this world are three: fire, salt, and water.
He who seeks three things wrongly will be deprived of three things fairly: he who seeks the worldly pleasures wrongly will be deprived of the world to come fairly, he who seeks leadership wrongly will be deprived of obedience fairly, and he who seeks fortunes wrongly will be deprived of having it permanently fairly.
Strong-minded individuals should not do three matters: they should not have poison as an experiment even if they will be saved, should not tell their envious kinsmen of their secrets even if they will not divulge, and should not work in seas even if their richness lies there.
People of any town should not dispense with three individuals for seeking their opinion regarding the affairs of their living and religion. If they lack the existence of such individuals, they will be regarded as uncivilized. Those are a pious knowledgeable jurist, an obeyed virtuous ruler, and a trustful erudite physician.
A friend is tested through three matters. If he does them then he is a true friend, otherwise he is false. You should ask him for some money, deposit some money with him, and cause him to participate in an unfavorable matter.
If people are saved from three things, they will be saved comprehensively: the obscene tongues, the bad hands, and the bad deeds.
A master will never feel quiet if his servant does not enjoy anyone of three characters: a religion that guides him (to the right), mannerism that makes him polite, and fear that precludes him (from committing evildoings).
Man needs three characters in order to live peacefully in his house with his dependants. He should stick himself to them even if they are not his nature: nice association, moderate affluence, and reasonable jealousy. 64. Every craftsman requires three characters without which he will not get earnings: skillfulness of his craft, fulfillment of the trusts, and attracting the customers.
The mind of him who suffers one of three misfortunes will surely be missing: a departing grace, an immoral wife, and a disaster in a dear person.
Courage depends upon three characters each of which has an advantage that the others do not have: generosity of souls, refusal of humility, and seeking fame. If a hero has these characters together, he will be the unbeatable champion and the most famous intrepid. If he enjoys them all in different degrees, he will be more courageous and more intrepid.
Three matters are obligatory upon sons regarding their parents: showing gratitude to them for any situation, obeying them in every matter they order or warn against except acts of disobedience to God, and advising them secretly and openly.
Three matters are obligatory upon the fathers regarding their sons: choosing good mother, choosing good name, and exaggerative discipline.
Brothers are in need of three characters so that their fraternity will endure lest, they will differ and hate each other: treating each other fairly, treating each other mercifully, and avoiding envy.
Relatives will surely suffer weakness and schadenfreude of their enemies if they ignore three matters: they should avoid envying each other so that they will not be various parties and, accordingly, lack unity, should exchange visits so that they will enjoy intimacy, and should cooperate so as to gain strength.
Husbands should never dispense with three matters in the course of their relations with their wives: they should use adaptability so as to gain the wives' compliance, amiability, love, and morality, should use good demeanor as a means of gaining their love, and should improve their livelihood.
Wives should never dispense with three characters in the course of their relations with their good-natured husbands: they should guard themselves against any filth so that they win their husbands' confidence in good and bad situations, should take care of them so that this will save them when they make a fault, and should show love to them through coquetry and good appearance.
Favor is not perfect without three matters: it is not perfect unless it is done as early as possible, regarded as little even if it is much, and not regarded as an obligation on the one to whom it is done.
Pleasure is in three matters only: in loyalty, fulfillment of rights, and offering help in misfortunes.
The evidence on judiciousness of views is three matters: good reception, good listening, and good response.
Men are three: intelligent, foolish, and wicked. The intelligent is that who replies when he is addressed, is right when he speaks, and understands when he listens. The foolish is that who rushes when he speaks, stuns when he talks, and does evil when he is incited. The wicked is that who betrays when he is entrusted and insults when he talks.
Brothers are on three categories: one is like food that you need every time. This is the intelligent. The other is like the malady. This is the foolish. The third is like remedy. This is the shrewd.
Three things confirm the status of their chooser: the messenger shows the status of his selector, the gift shows the status of its chooser, and the book refers to the status of its writer.
Knowledge is three: a decisive Verse, a fair duty, and a practiced tradition.
People are of three categories: an ignorant that refuses learning, a scholar whose knowledge weakened him, and a intelligent who works for this world as well as the world to come.
Strangeness is absent in three characters: good mannerism, abstinence of harm, and evasion of suspect. 82. Days are three: one is past and unattainable, another is present and should be used, and the third is not coming yet, and people have its hope only.
Faith will not promote those who do not enjoy three characters: clemency with which ignorance is refuted, piety prevents from seeking the prohibited things, and ethics with which people are treated courteously.
Faith of those who enjoy three characters is perfect: they are those whose rage does not take them out of the right, whose satisfaction does not take to the wrong, and who pardon when they are powerful.
People of this world need three characters: luxury without tiredness, abundance with satisfaction, and courage without laziness.
The intelligent should never forget three things: the expiry of this world, the change of conditions, and the unexpected disasters. 87. Faith, intelligence, and painstaking are three matters that are not perfect in anybody.
Brothers are of three kinds: one is that who offers his soul for you and the other offers his wealth for you. These two kinds of brothers are genuine. The third is that who takes from you what he wants and needs you for enjoyment. You should not reckon him with the trustful (friends). 89. The servants will not attain the reality of faith before they enjoy three characters: knowledge of religion, moderation of livelihood, and steadfastness against misfortunes. All power belong to God the High the Great.
Imam As-Sadiq's Wording of the Quality of Adoration to the Prophet's Progeny, Monotheism, Faith, Islam, Atheism, And Evil
Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) asked the man who attended before him about his manner. 'I am one of your followers and adherents,' answered the man. Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: God will surely accept the servant whom He loves and will surely give Paradise to him whom He accepts.
'Which class of our followers are you?' asked the Imam (peace be upon him). The man found no answer. Sadir intruded to ask the Imam (peace be upon him), 'How many classes are your followers, son of the Prophet?' Imam as-Sadiq spoke:
Our followers are three classes. A class is those who pretend themselves our followers while the reality is the opposite, a class is those who cherish us secretly and do not follow us in public, and a class is those who cherish us openly and secretly. They are the highest group. They drank from the fresh water and had knowledge of the interpretation of the Book (of God), the distinction between the right and the wrong, and the causes of everything. Therefore, they have become the highest group. Poverty, destitution, and the varieties of crises are hastier than racehorses to them. They have suffered hardship and damage and they have been shaken and tested. Hence, they have been wounded and slain, scattering in the remote countries. Through them, God heals the ailed and richens the deprived. Moreover, you gain victory, rainfall, and earnings only through them. They are the fewest, but the owners of the greatest standings with God. The third class is the lowest group. They loved us in public, but they pursued the kings' practices. Their tongues are with us while their swords are unsheathed in our faces. The second class is the middle group. They loved us secretly and ignored us openly. I swear if they love us secretly not openly, they are the fasting in days and the worshippers at night. The signs of seclusion are shown on their faces. They are peaceful and submissive people.
The man declared, 'I am one of those who love you secretly and openly.' The Imam (peace be upon him) said:
Our followers in secret and openness enjoy a number of indications with which they are realized. As the man asked about these indications, the Imam (peace be upon him) said: These are certain characters the first of which is that they knew monotheism perfectly, they excelled in the rules of God's oneness, and finally they believed in God's oneness and its description. Then they recognized the outlines, facts, provisions, and interpretation of faith. Sadir intruded, 'O son of God's messenger, I have never heard you describing faith in such a form before.' The Imam (peace be upon him) answered: Yes, Sadir. The asker should not ask about faith before he knows the One in Whom he must believe.' 'O son of God's messenger,' asked Sadir, 'Would you please explain what you have said?' The Imam (peace be upon him) spoke:
He who claims that he knows God due to the imprint of the heart is polytheist. He who claims that knows God by name, not meaning, is declaring the contrary, because the name is new (created). He who claims that he worships the name and the meaning is associating others with God. He who claims that he worships the meaning by the description, not realization, is referring to something absent. He who claims that he worships the description and the described is nullifying God's oneness because description is something other than the described. He who claims that he adds the described to the description is belittling the great. They have no true respect of God.
'What is the course to the true believing in God's oneness, then?' some asked. He (peace be upon him) said: The door of search is opened and the pursuit of the exit is existing. The knowledge of the present should precede his description while the knowledge of the description of the absent should precede the knowledge of him. 'How can we know the witness before we know his descriptions?' they asked. He (peace be upon him) answered: You should first know him, know his knowledge, and know yourself through him. You should not know yourself through yourself. You should also know that whatever he has is to him and through him. As an example of this is Joseph's brothers when they addressed to him, 'Are you Joseph?' He said, 'Yes, I am Joseph and this is my brother.' They knew him through him. They neither knew him through others nor did they know him by themselves due to the imprints of their hearts. God says:
You could not even plant one tree.
This means that you should not appoint a leader for yourselves out of your whims and wills. As for three categories, God will not speak to them, will not look at them on the Day of Resurrection, will not second them, and will arrange for them a painful chastisement. They are those who plant a tree that God did not plant, i.e. those who appoint a leader for themselves out of their own whims, those who deny a leader that God appoints, and those who claim that those two persons have anything to do with Islam. God says: Your Lord creates and chooses to whomever He wants. They do not have the choice to choose whatever they want.
The Quality of Faith
Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
The meaning of the quality of faith is the declaration, submission to God and seeking His favors through the declaration, and the fulfillment to Him through having knowledge of every obligatory matter, whether big or small, beginning with the outline of God's oneness up to the last chapter of obedience without missing anyone. All this should be connected and matched up to each other. If a servant fulfills what is imposed upon him according to what we have recently explained, he will then deserve the quality of faith and will deserve the reward duly. This is because the meaning of faith is the declaration and the meaning of declaration is the sincerity of obedience. This proves that obedience as a whole is related to each other. A believer loses the quality of faith only when he ignores the matters due to which he deserved to have that quality. He deserved the name and meaning of belief meritoriously only when he fulfilled the grand duties connectedly and neglected and avoided the disobediences. He also will not abandon the quality of faith when he commits insignificant acts of disobedience to God and ignores the insignificant acts of obedience. God says:
If you avoid the grand violating that which has been prohibited, your sins will be forgiven and you will be admitted into an exalted dwelling. This holy saying proves the fact that we have recently indicated. Accordingly, forgiveness is obtained when the grand sins are avoided. If a grand sin is committed, all of the acts of disobedience, whether grand or insignificant, will be taken in the consideration of judgment. Hence, castigation and penalty of all the acts of disobedience (to God) will fall. This is the quality of faith and the quality of a believer who deserves the reward duly.
The Quality of Islam
The meaning of the quality of Islam is the submission and fulfillment of all the acts of obedience whose judgment is clear. If one declares the all acts of obedience publicly, even if he does not believe with the heart, he will deserve the name and meaning of Islam, warrant the public friendship, his testimony will be accepted, the rulings of inheritance will be valid for him, and he will enjoy the rights and obligations of the Muslims. This is the quality of Islam. The difference between the believer and the Muslim is that the latter will be believer when he is obedient intentionally along with his public declaration. If he obeys publicly only, he will be Muslim. If he obeys publicly and intentionally, he will be believer provided that submission and seeking favors through knowledge will be present. It happens that a servant is Muslim but not believer. No one can be believer unless he is Muslim.